♥ WALKING INTO TOWN IS A STROLL THROUGH NATURE ♥ There are a bunch of ways to get into town on foot from here. The route I’ve been taking lately is a little path just up the road that leads down into the hills above Aro Street. I love Brooklyn; this part of Wellington is basically a giant, lush garden.

Welly harbour from the Brooklyn hills

♥ THE HARBOUR IS AMAZING ♥ Wellington’s waterfront is fucking gorgeous. Despite ongoing campaigns by the moneyed and idiotic, it is yet to be destroyed by developers. Instead, you’ve got open spaces, art and sweeping views. The photo above is the view from my front yard. I can’t imagine living far away from the ocean; there’s something about it which nourishes me in an intangible kind of way. Ancient, soulful. If I’m having one of those intermittent rage-at-the-world-and-myself days, a little walk along Frank Kitts, around past Waitangi Park, to Oriental Bay and back always help me gain some perspective.

Tuis!

♥ BIRDS EVERYWHERE ♥ I snapped these guys chilling on the power lines that run along our street on a super sunny day recently. There are heaps of tuis around here, thanks to the Karori Wildlife Santuary being such a wild success. It’s wicked. Birdsong > Traffic noise.

♥ COSMIC CORNER ♥ Cosmic is an amazing, inspiring place to work. Respect and freedom. Support and encouragement. Fucking glorious people. Big change is in the air right now! The Cuba St store is moving into an epic new space on Cuba Mall – right in front of the bucket fountain – there is going to be a stage, a coffee bar (you get to choose between Flight, for flavour, or Havana, for a kick in the face :D) and heaps and heaps of amazing new stock; the current Cuba store is going to morph into an outlet store, which I’m gonna help get cranking. A whole bunch of rad new people are on board. Exciting times ♥

Lunchtime deliciousness, courtesy of Caffe Italiano

♥ EVERYTHING IS CLOSE ♥ It’s awesome how, no matter where you are in the CBD, there is likely to be a) healthy food, b) good coffee and c) a green space to bask in, all within five minutes walk. I took this photo in Glover Park earlier in the year; I arrived at work an hour early (curse you, daylight savings!), so popped up the road to Caffe Italiano and got a flat white and one of their awesome filled rolls. This one included ricotta, mushroom, roast potato, tomato, rocket, olives and another cheese that I didn’t catch the name of. Delicious. I should really do a Welly cafe vege-filled-roll taste-off at some point.

Taken while refueling before starting a late shift; vegan lasagne ftw

♥ MIDNIGHT ESPRESSO LIVES HERE ♥Midnight will always be close to my heart. Almost everything on the menu is vegetarian or vegan. The music is usually awesome. They’re open laaate. And they’re just across the road from work. One of the reasons Cuba Street is an awesome place to hang.

♥ ARO RULES ♥ Some people think of Te Aro as the “shady” area of town. These people can fuck off back to whatever drunkass, sportsbilly-filled Courtenay Place meatmarket they have emerged from. There is so much energy, so much life at this end of town. It’s vibrant. Art & music all over the place, amazing places to eat. Everybody creative and creating. That creativity, in all it’s wild and wonderful forms, is what gives this town it’s heart.